Paleo Mongolian Lamb with Lettuce Cups

You would probably never know this is isn't the original Mongolian sauce recipe from the P.J. Chang Restaurant chain.

A few Paleo tweaks on the delish.com recipe still result in a dish that looks authentic, smells aromatic, and tastes delicious. Use a protein of your choice: lamb, beef, pork, or tofu, and enjoy a healthier dish for about half the price you would pay at the restaurant.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 4.8 Persimmons*

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon grape seed oil
1 pound boneless leg of lamb, thinly sliced and cut into bite-sided pieces
1/4 cup arrowroot starch flour 
2-3 pinches of salt

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3/4 cup coconut aminos
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup coconut sugar

4 scallions, sliced into quarters, plus 1 sliced scallion for garnish
Butter lettuce, for service

Directions:

1. Toss the lamb in the arrowroot to coat. In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the grape seed oil until it just starts to smoke.  Add the lamb in 2-3 batches and stir-fry the pieces until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to each each batch. Place the cooked lamb aside.

2. After the remaining oil cools down, wipe the wok clean with paper towels. Add remaining teaspoon of oil. Reheat to a medium-low temperature and add the garlic and ginger. The garlic will burn quickly, so watch it carefully and remove from flame when necessary until it is a light brown - about 1-2 minutes. 

3. Add the coconut aminos, water and sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until sauce is reduced by half, 8-10 minutes.

4. Add the cooked meat and green onions to the sauce, and simmer a few minutes more. The onions will wilt. Taste for salt and pepper, if desired.

5. Serve lamb in lettuce cups and garnish with chopped scallions.

Serves 2-3 main courses, or 4 side dishes.

#paleo #lamb #mongolian #stirfry #glutenfree #dairyfree

Recipe adapted from the delish.com website here.

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.